| Author | Message | ||
     Sgthigg |
I own a 05xb12. I love this bike and it pretty much has been trouble free. Now I am coming up very soon on my 5k service. I started noticing the bike used what seems a decent amount of oil. I know these v twin air/oil cooled motors use some oils. But I started a log book everytime It needed oil added anyways. I always let the motorcycle warm up ATLEAST 20-30mins before I check it. I also let her idle for about a min before I shut it off. Take my gear off and then check it. I changed to MOBILE 1 full syn 15-50 at 2000 miles. I am at 4800 miles currently. -The bike has used 50 ozs of oil. -Or one ounce every 56 miles. I took the plugs out at 3000, they both looked good as per the manual. Is 50 ozs of oils used in 2800 miles something I should have checked out? I need your opinions to know if this is acceptable or should have the dealership check into at the 5k service. I hate to have something get worse and ruin the motor or leave me stranded. However I dont want the dealership to tear the motor down chasing something possibly not needed. Didnt the 05 motor come stock with a leaky valve guides or something, if that was so wouldnt the plugs be fouled? They werent fouled and the bike does not smoke at all. I dunno whats up. Please post you opinions on this matter and your own experiences. Thanks | ||
| Brucelee |
My XB uses NO OIL between changes. Your usage is extreme. I would take it to the shop. Good luck. | ||
| Tommy_2stroke |
2800/50=56 miles per oz. Which is a quart per 1800 miles, right? That is not excessive for a new motor. My XB slurped up a quart per thousand miles for the first 2 or 3 thousand miles, then stopped using oil. Now, at 7k miles, oil consumption is near zero. (I believe I waited until 5k before switching to synth, however). (Message edited by tommy_2stroke on March 12, 2006) | ||
| Lucas70374 |
harley/buell released a bulletin that it is not uncommon to use up to a quart or so of oil between oil changes, I dont know details I will find the bulletin tomorrow at work. | ||
| No_rice |
Lucas, id be interested in knowing all that bulletin said to. mine really dont use any oil, but it'd be nice to be able to know it for some of the people i have come in. | ||
| Rafartist |
I just picked up an 03 with 1000 miles on it and it will suck some oil too, especially now that I can whoop on it some. | ||
| Dragonbuell12r |
I used 48 oz between the 1k and 5k change too. I'm at 6500 and it seemed to slow down a bit. Bike doesn't smoke and runs like an animal. I switched to checking the oil only when I fill up with fuel. It was making me crazy checking it after every little ride. | ||
| Sgthigg |
Same here Dragon Buell. I check it every fill up needing to add ever 2nd or3rd fill up. I bought a 5 qt jug of mob1 when i did my oil change now im down to less than a qt left in it. Makes me wonder if at this rate I even need a oil change..lol j/k. But this bike has used 50 ozs in less than 3k miles. Please keep the opinions coming, I need to know if I should adress this at my 5k service. | ||
| Windaddiction |
I'm almost at 8000 km on my 06 uly and have gone trough 3/4 of a quart... It was mainly used within the first 3000 km but I don't think even using a quart to top up between oil changes is exsesvive. Try letting the oil go down to a 1/4 on the dipstick, mine licks to level out there | ||
| Sgthigg |
"I don't think even using a quart to top up between oil changes is exsesvive." How about almost 1.5 in less than 3k miles? "Try letting the oil go down to a 1/4 on the dipstick, mine licks to level out there" You mean below the "add" line? how far below the add line? I have let it run down and see if it will level out, it just kept using it until it was barely at the bottom of the stick. Then I got nervous the bike was running noticable warmer and then I added more. Dragon and tommy. Did you guys ever switch oils from when it was using it to when it slowed down? If so what did you use and what do you use now? (Message edited by sgthigg on March 12, 2006) (Message edited by sgthigg on March 12, 2006) | ||
| Windaddiction |
no I mean I have mine run 1/4 between fill and full | ||
| Sgthigg |
ok got ya now. Yah I tried to let it self level too to see where she is happy at. Just kept goin down. | ||
| Tommy_2stroke |
Jason: My '05 bike's heavy oil consumption was during the initial approx. 3k miles. Somewhere between 3k/5k consumption dropped considerably, but I wasn't paying close attention to the process. I did not change to synth until 5k miles. Oil use is now minimal. You might not have a problem... give it a bit more time before you decide. | ||
| Dragonbuell12r |
I've been using Mobil 1 15w50 since the 1k change. Oil use is less but I was thinking about giving the Mobil 1 vtwin 20w50 a try to see if it makes a difference. Checking it only at fuel fill ups has made my mind at ease instead of every little run of the bike. It drove me crazy wondering where the oil was going. None in the airbox, no evident smoking, and the bike running great. I even was considering an additional oil tank from a small nitrous bottle for peace of mind on those long days of riding. That 2-1/2 quart tank is cool but doesn't have enough capacity for me. I have been riding I4's for years without hardly using an ounce. I love this bike and am just dealing with the oil usage. (Message edited by dragonbuell12r on March 13, 2006) | ||
| Lucas70374 |
August 10, 2005 Diagnosing Oil Consumption There has been a rise in oil consumption complaints on 2005 06 model year vehicles. The intent of this Tech Tip is to help you determine if there is an actual oil consumption issue and more accurately diagnose the root cause. 1. First, determine if there is excessive oil consumption by analyzing the customer complaint and vehicle condition. Many times fuel delivery related issues cause smoking complaints and may even gas wash cylinders leading customers to believe they have an "oil burner" on their hands. Is the vehicle modified and what is its state of tune? Does the EFI calibration match the actual components on the vehicle? Is there fuel stand off in the air cleaner or manifold? 2. What is excessive consumption? Customers may not realize that all engines have some normal rate of oil consumption, and air cooled engines are more prone to use some oil in the course of normal operation. It would not be unusual for a Twin Cam engine to use one quart of oil in 1500 miles or a middleweight powertrain to use one quart of oil in 1000 miles. Oil consumption is impacted by engine condition, mileage, duty cycle (how the vehicle is operated and in what environmental conditions), and accessories. Is the vehicle through its break-in period? Remember rings must seat before they will begin to seal the cylinder to piston clearance. After a discussion with the customer on the complaint and a brief inspection of the vehicle you should be able to determine if you a dealing with a rich condition, oil consumption complaint, or customer misperceptions. 3. Determine the real rate of consumption. To determine the rate of oil consumption bring the oil level to the full line following the "Checking With Warm Engine" procedures outlined in the service manual and tape the filler neck closed. Have the customer ride the vehicle and inspect the level at 500-mile intervals to determine the actual rate of consumption. Be careful not to overfill the tank, as that will provide a false indication of consumption. If the rate of consumption exceeds the norm, you will need to review duty cycle with the customer and then begin your inspection of the engine's state-of-tune accordingly. August 10, 2005 4. Verify the system before you tear it down. Don't overlook the obvious items before disassembly. How are the oil hoses (tight clamps, routings, etc.)? Verify breather operation, this might be a carry-over situation. If you blow lightly into the breather snorkels, there should be some resistance if the umbrella valves are closing properly. Verify oil pressure and oil return functions. You might be dealing with an oiling system issue and/or a wet-sumped lower end. Take a compression reading and perform a leakdown test. Remember to write down the numbers, Technical Service is sure to ask for them. If leak down exceeds 10% determine where it is leaking by. Into the lower end, out the exhaust or intake port, or through a head gasket? 5. Now begin your disassembly based on your findings, and keep both eyes open as you take things apart for clues to the root cause. If the leakage was primarily into the crankcase, then you are chasing a piston to cylinder sealing issues. To rule out a barreled or tapered cylinder re-check leak down in three places (top - middle - bottom) in the stroke once the rocker arm support plate is removed. �� By the way how did those umbrellas look, and was the rocker box fairly well scavenged? No clogged return passages right? No signs of leakage at the head gasket oil returns? Good gasket surfaces? �� Check the piston crown for carbon build up. Washed areas on the edges of the piston crown are a good indication of an "oil pumper" (bad rings or piston to cylinder fit). Solid carbon build up across the piston crown generally indicated it is coming from above. �� With the cylinders off you will be able to more closely examine (and take note of) ring end gap locations. Do they match the service manual recommendations or are they lined up? Also, check the second compression ring, also called the middle or scraper ring, installation. The "dot" should face up, but even more important the outer bevel slants toward the piston and it has a slight chamfer on the ID that goes to the bottom to allow it to function properly. It is rare but sometimes the "dot" is up and ring's taper face is wrong. �� While you are looking at the rings check their wear patterns. A ring that is over spread or twisted during installation will not seal properly. Leak down past the valves and into the ports requires you inspect them for bad seats and bent stems, or you may find carbon built up to the point they just were not able to seal the combustion chamber. �� Heavily carboned valves and oil in the intake or exhaust ports (you did remember to take note of that right?) are indications of leaking valve seals. �� It also pays to look for the unusual, like leakage between the valve guide and the cylinder head. Are the guides loose? Was the head's guide bore scored or damaged during guide installation? This can sometimes be indicated by unusually clean or unusually golden patches in specific spots around the guide. The same is true if there is actual porosity in the head. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Different bikes have different appetities. My 05 9sx is thirsty for oil, but probably not above the quart in 1500 mile figure. Done it since new. My solution is to ride it for 50,000 miles to wait and see if the problem gets better. If I have gone 10k miles (and I have) and have not fouled any plugs (I have not), I figure it can't be *that* bad. | ||
| Lucas70374 |
the strange this is here at the dealership we barely see it. My personal bike I dont have to add any oil, my service managers bike about 4 oz every 1000 miles. A customer of mine 1 QUART every 1000 miles. | ||
| Tiburondriver47 |
I have a 06 XB12R.5200 miles. If i leave the oil half way between the full and add oil i don't use any, if i fill it up to the full make it will go back down to the 1/2 way mark and stop. I took my air box cover off today and noticed oil residue around the base of the filter and on the top of the velocity stack. I believe that when you draw a lot of air[ full throttle] into the throttle body it pulls oil through the 2 vent tubes.JMO. | ||
| Jkhawaii |
my bike seems to use more oil if I ride it fast and or keep the revs up. the oil appears to be blowing out the vent tubes into the intake | ||
| Jkhawaii |
but at least the oil gets sucked directly into the TB and dose not make a mess in the air box | ||
| Sgthigg |
On the sport twin site this was a recommendation. What are your opinions. Thats a long way to run a bike hard. Can a engine be rebroke in? "Hey there Sarg... Sometimes I've come across engines that have been broken in too easily. The rings and cylinders don't "seat in" and oil can get by the oil control rings. I'm not sure if this is your problem but it might. If oil consumtion has been high ever since the bike has been new try this break in technique: For the next 500 miles (typical break in period) run full throttle in a higher gear from about 1500rpm to about 3500 to 4000 rpm. Then run a few easy miles to let the engine cool. Keep doing this tedious task for about 500 miles. Do not use syn oil as it is too good a lubricant and will protect the rings when you want some wear to occur. That is why syn oil is to be avoided during break in. Use the thinist oil that you dare. I recommend 10w-30w (or lighter) for engines that are having an oil control problem due to break in problems. After you do this break in nonsense go to a heavier oil. I have an XL based Buell and during the summer I run 50w or even 60w. Your engine will run quieter and you will definitely use less oil. Just allow an adequate warm up before you attempt any land speed record runs. This might work but it might not. That is why engines with this problem need to be ringed and have the cylinders honed to break the glaze that would cause this kind of problem." |
